Family Fun Time
by Italian-Rose-xxx
Summary: Melissa and Gerard Emmerson are thinking of adopting a child. What happens when the little boy they get turns out to be extra special, more special than they could have realized? NO FLAMES.
1. Chapter 1

**Family Fun Time**

**Summary:- The year is 1930 and Melissa and Gerard Emmerson are thinking of adopting a child. They decide to take a look at the children in Mrs Cole's Orphanage, along with other prospective parents. I don't think I need to tell you who they take interest in, do I?**

* * *

"Stand up straight, children, and remember, _smiles." _Mrs Cole, Head Matron of Mrs Cole's Orphanage in London walked up and down past the line of children, all in their neatest clothes. Every girl had snowy white socks pulled up to her knees and every boy had his hair neatly parted. These children ranged in age from two to twelve, but they all had one thing in common:- they were orphans.

"Such lovely children," Alicia, the student Matron, said in her Spanish accent. She smoothed down the front of her black pinafore and looked over to her right.

"Tom?" she called. "Tom, sweetie, come over here and let me take a look at you."

Tom was five years old since last month, and he already knew that taking part in such an event as this was a mistake. Nobody was going to choose him as their son. Not when he was, in Mrs Cole's own words, _born of Satanic curcumstances. _Tom didn't understand what that meant, but he knew it wasn't good. _I wish someone would like me enough to bring me home with them, _he thought, as he trudged sadly over to Alicia.

"You look lovely," she smiled, and Tom felt himself going red. The other children were all staring at him like wild dogs, their eyes cold and unfeeling. Tom sucked on his lip and looked up at Alicia again.

"Do you think we'll all get adopted today, Alicia?" Becky Waters, a young girl of six, asked.

"It's possible, Rebecca," smiled Alicia. "I have my fingers crossed for each of you."

She patted the little red-head on the head and clapped her hands. "Right, you lot, why don't you go play and we'll let you know when the guests arrive?"

Glad to be away from being scrutinized, the children all dashed into the garden.

"Let's play tag!" Becky called to her friends. "I'll be it!" She let out a shrill giggle and chased her giggly friends around the large garden.

Tom stood back a bit from the screaming and laughing children, his arms down by his sides. It was rather common for him to be left out of games, which was fine. He only didn't like when they played with him just to bully him. He hoped today wouldn't be one of those days.

"Why don't you play with us, Tom?" Becky asked. Her voice was kind, her eyes smiling. This couldn't be a trap. Becky was six, only a year older than him. She wouldn't hurt him, he knew that.

"Okay," he said, walking towards her. "Who's it?"

"I am," she said, and she began to chase him round the garden. All the other children gave chase too, and Tom felt himself be shoved. Hard. He landed heavily on his knees, tears collecting in his eyes. Becky stood over him. She made no move to help him up, she just looked at him. She wasn't smiling anymore.

"I don't wanna play anymore." Tom muttered, he got up and ran, ran from the children that were staring at him, ran until he reached his bedroom, where he sat down on his bed and let the first few tears fall.

* * *

Melissa Emmerson was on her way back from bathroom when she spotted the little boy sitting all by himself. The child must have been no older than five, and he was sniffling quietly. She stood outside the door and listened, her heart breaking for the little orphan.

"Hello?" the child called, sensing her outside the door. "Hello?"

"Hey there," Melissa walked into the room and sat down next to him. He had jet black hair and eyes.

"Hi." He said, smiling at her. "My name's Tom."

"It's good to meet you, Tom. I'm Melissa."

"That's a pretty name," smiled Tom. He got up from his bed and bent down. "Would you like to see my toys?"

Melissa nodded. Tom pulled out a one-eyed panda bear and yo-yo out from under his bed.

"This is Panda," he said, as if the bear's name was an invention of utter genius. "He goes everywhere with me. He normally sleeps in my bed, but he was hyberading."

Melissa smiled, waving hello to the bear. Panda waved back at her with Tom's help.

"Mel?" A man's voice called. "Mel? You out of the bathroom yet?"

Tom bounced off his bed and walked out to the man with the ginger hair and green eyes.

"She's in here, playing with my toys. I'm Tom Riddle, by the way."

Normally, Tom wouldn't have been inclined to let people into his room, but Melissa and this nice man were nice, so he didn't mind.

"Well, my name's Gerard, Tom," said Gerard as they both walked into his room. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Tom smiled, having no clue what the last word meant, but he knew that it must be good from the smile Gerard was giving him. Soon they were all laughing like old friends, Tom, Gerard and Melissa. Oh, and Panda too.

The time passed so quickly they didn't notice that it was nearly four. Melissa gasped when she realized how late it was.

"Goodness, we need to get back. Ger, come on, let's go, Miss Katherine will have a field day if I'm not there to mind little Charlotte."

"Bye, Tom." Gerard smiled and waved at him. Tom's mind was whirling. His friends were leaving him? Why? Who was Charlotte?

"Wait!" he called, and they both turned to him. "You'll come and visit me, won't you?" His voice sounded as if he was going to start crying. "Promise me you will."

Melissa's heart melted for the child who obviously felt completly alone. There was no doubt about it, he was the one.

"I promise, sweetie," she whispered. "I promise we'll come and see you again lots."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter! I'm really getting into this now.**

* * *

A few weeks later, Tom was in his usual position, hands pressed up against the glass window, eyes dancing with excitement.

"What time'd Melissa and Gerard say they'd get here, Alicia?" He asked.

"Soon, pet, don't worry, they'll be here." Alicia smiled over at the excited five-year-old. It made her happy to see Tom happy. He had never had anyone in his life who cared for him like Gerard and Melissa did. Alicia was very grateful to the two of them.

"Oh, I can't wait! I want to see them now!" Tom hugged Panda to his chest. Alicia smiled at him. The child was so sweet and nobody saw that, all they saw was the monster that was different from the norm. Tom turned to face her, a huge smile on his face. Two people, a man and woman, were walking up the path towards the door.

"They're here!" Tom shouted joyfully, running to the door. He bounced up and down, trying to reach the handle of the door, which had been placed too high for any of the younger children to reach, for fear they'd get out and run away. Melissa smiled and laughed through the glass of the window.

"Alicia, open the door, pleaassse!" Tom begged. Alicia complied, grinning as she welcomed the couple.

"Hello," she said kindly. "Good to see you both again."

"Melissa! Gerard!" Tom ran to them and held out his arms for Melissa. She obliged immediately, picking him up and holding him on her hip.

"Hello, pet. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Tom said politely. "What are we doing today?"

"I thought we might go to the park and get an ice-cream. Would you like that?"

Tom noded happily before his expression turned solemn. "I... I don't know if I'm gonna be allowed."

Alicia laughed and ruffled the child's hair, pressing a five pound note into his hand. "Of course you are, Tom, Mrs Cole said that you would be. Just promise you'll buy that book Panda wanted, okay?"

Tom looked down at the fiver in his hand and looked up at Alicia with the biggest grin on his face.

"I will, of course I will! Thank you."

With that, the three of them were off.

"Do you like the park, Tom?" Gerard asked.

"Yep, it's my favourite place to be in the whole world. Mrs Cole doesn't take us out there much. She's scared in case Becky runs away. She's the red-head." Tom explained.

"Bet you like picnics too?"

"Do you have one?"

"Not on us. I thought you might help me choose. Melissa's hopeless at picking sandwhiches, she's so fussy. Girls." He winked at Tom and they both laughed.

"Don't listen to him, Tom," Melissa grumbled. She punched Gerard playfully on the arm. "He's always teasing."

The three of them bought sandwhiches and went to the park. They lay out the plaid blanket Melissa had brought and sat down. Tom chewed happily on his cheese sandwhich, having first ripped off the crusts and discarding them in the plastic bag Melissa had brought for rubbish. Panda lay on his lap, staring through his one working eye.

"That nice?" Melissa asked.

"Yummy," Tom said with his mouth full. "Thank 'oo, 'Lissa."

"No bother, pet."

"So, Tom," Gerard asked once the food had been finished. "What's your favourite flavour ice-cream?"

"Strawb'rry." said Tom at once. "It's Panda's too, but he's a bit little for a big cone. I'll just let him have a lick of mine."

"Alrighty then, one strawberry ice-cream cone coming up," said Melissa, getting up off the blanket and walking over to the que for the ice-creams.

Tom held Panda up to his ear.

"What's he saying?" Gerard asked.

"He likes you." Tom held the bear out to Gerard. "You can hold him if you wish."

Gently, Gerard took the bear from Tom, holding it as though it were a real baby. "Hello, Panda." he said. "I like you too. Tell Tom that I like him very much also."

Tom grinned and crawled closer to Gerard, retrieving his precious bear from him. "I like you too, you and Melissa."

"I bet you like me the best because I have ice-cream." said Melissa, coming up from behind him. She produced a strawberry and chocolate cone from behind her back, keeping the vanilla one for herself.

Tom clapped his hands and accepted his ice-cream gratefully. He wasn't treated to things like this often. Punishment and pain came more often than kindness.

"Thank you." He said.

"Not a bother at all, sweetie," said Melissa. She kissed the top of his head. He was so cute and she knew that one day he would be her son, just like she always wanted but never got to have.

The three of them stayed in the park for another few hours, then took Tom to buy "Panda's" book and walked through the town back to the Orphanage. Tom was taken in by Alicia, who had been sent to get him ready for bath and bed.

* * *

"So, you really want to adopt him?"

Mrs Cole, Gerard and Melissa were in Mrs Cole's office. Tom was now sleeping soundly in his bed, and they were discussing his future downstairs without his knowing.

"Yes," said Melissa simply. "He's a darling boy."

"You've enjoyed spending time with him, I take it?"

"Like I said before, he's a darling little boy."

Mrs Cole's face grew serious. "There haven't been any... incidents, have there?"

Melissa shook her head, confused. Gerard said, "Incidents, what incidents?"

Mrs Cole leant across the table and looked at the young couple. Better they knew what they were dealing with. "Tom is... different," she started to explain. "Nothing wrong with that, of course," she added, noticing Melissa's glare. "But he's different in a bad way."

"In what respect?" Gerard asked.

"Well, I remember one morning when Leah Murphy was teasing him, threatning to rip apart that beloved panda bear he carries around like a safety blanket, when her porridge suddenly scalded her arm. I caned Tom for it of course, though he says he didn't do it."

"Of course he didn't. Not intentionally, of course. Tom would never hurt anybody." Melissa fixed her sky-blue eyes on Mrs Cole's cold beedy ones.

"We're talking about a problem child here."

"No, I'll tell you what we're talking about," Gerard's voice was suddenly stern and meant business. He stared right into Mrs Cole's eyes. "We're talking about a five-year-old boy who's an orphan."

"If you are sure you want to adopt him, then I guess I can have the papers arranged and you can take him home with you in a few months. I dearly hope you won't regret it. There's a reason why that... that... was never adopted."

"That _child _needs love and a mother and father and that's just what we plan to give him," said Melissa. She was disgusted by what she had just heard. It was almost as if Mrs Cole despised Tom, and the Tom Riddle that she knew would never hurt a fly.

"Right," said Mrs Cole, sounding utterly defeated. She slumped back into her chair.

"Well now, best be off. We'll be in touch, Angelica, thank you for your time." Melissa said, using her perfectly mannerly and charming way of getting out of an unpleasant or aggravating conversation. She and Gerard got up and walked out, slamming the door behind them.

Mrs Cole placed her head in her hands. "I just hope you know what you're dealing with," she whispered quietly to herself.

* * *

**R&R pleases.**


End file.
